Wearing a Warbler Blazer
by Make-My-Heart-Burst
Summary: Wes/OC. Dalton!verse. At Parent's Night, Wesley Hughes quite literally knocked a girl off her feet and left them both flustered. Will their puppy love turn into something more, or is they fact Lyla isn't "Wes's usual type" going to tear them apart?
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: So I wrote maybe 5 chapters of this before I read on one of CP's sites that St. Patrick's is a day school. I hope she doesn't mind I took a little writer's-liberty here.

Wes is one of my favorites, after Reed and Dwight, and right before the Tweedles, and One night (when I was supposed to be writing an essay) this came to mind. I REALLY Hope you all like it =)

I own Lyla and Ben for the most part. And characters you see that are familiar belong to CP Coulter and her fic "Dalton" which is a MUST READ. Anything Glee related obviously belongs to Fox and Ryan Murphy.

* * *

><p><em>Wearing a Warbler Blazer – a WesOC story_

_By: Ashley Lotti_

Chapter One:

Lyla Rose Fletcher was pretty sure she was going to die. WHY she had to go to parent's night at Dalton was beyond her. Just because her father was a teacher there…

"How come Ben can't come?" Lyla asked her father over the phone. She tugged at the end of the yellow dress she was borrowing from her dorm-neighbor. She hated yellow.

"Ben has an exam tomorrow," her father mumbled over the phone. "He needs to study."

Bull. Lyla was perfectly aware that Ben was probably locked up in his room blogging his mind out. "Dad…"

"I'll see you soon Lyla Rose," her dad said before she could complain more and hung up. Lyla huffed and threw her cell phone on the table. She tugged at the dress again. It was just a simple yellow cotton sundress, but she didn't like it with her hair. Brown hair with natural red and blond highlights, she clashed with everything. She was debating powder for her face (to hide or to not hide freckles) when a knock on her door was followed by the arrival of her neighbor.

"Oh my God you're so cute!" Margret Otis ("Maggie, please!") skipped in and hugged Lyla from behind. "Honestly, I don't understand why you don't get all dressed up more often, you have amazing legs!" Lyla looked down at her legs and shrugged.

"Sure," she said. "Hey thanks for the dress Maggie," Lyla said, putting the powder down. She hardly ever wore make-up anyway.

"Anytime," Maggie said. She went over to Lyla's jewelry box and opened it up. "Is this all the bling you have girly?"

"I don't wear bling," Lyla said walking over to her jewelry box and snapping it shut.

"And you don't wear dresses, and you don't wear make-up, and you don't wear cute shoes…" Maggie rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, shoes!"

"No Maggie!" Lyla knew she had to draw the line somewhere. "I'm wearing sneekers."

"Lyla Rose, _that_ is not a sneeker dress!"

"Margret, I don't care!" Lyla stuck her tongue out at Maggie. "I don't even want to go. I don't even go to Dalton!"

"But lots of cute boys do!" Maggie said. "I'm so jelly right now!"

"You have a boyfriend Maggie," Lyla rolled her eyes.

"I know, but I can still window shop." They were interrupted by another knock followed by another girl entering Lyla's room.

"Hey Wendy," both girls greeted the new comer.

"Be warned, Psychobitch is on a roll," Wendy closed the door and turned the lock. "HOW did you two get single rooms?" Wendy asked in an exasperated tone as she took a seat on Lyla's bed. "Why do you look like a girl for once?"

"Guys, I'm not THAT much of a tomboy!" Lyla shook her head. "Am I?"

"Not always," Wendy said. "I mean you wear the school uniform, which is a skirt."

"But on casual wear days, you look like your brother dressed you," Maggie finished. Lyla rolled her eyes. "She's going to the Dalton Parent's night," Maggie added to Wendy.

"Oh fun," Wendy kicked her feet. "Can I hide out in here then?"

"No one's stopping you," Lyla said. There was a storming of feet in the hall and a scream that made all three girls flinch violently.

"Mummy and Daddy told her that she can't go to Bermuda with them if her grades don't go up." Wendy explained. They heard Tabatha Adams slam the door again and let out another scream. "I don't see how it'll help. If she doesn't go, she's here for spring break, and punishing us just isn't fair."

"I'm so sorry your roomie is the queen of all evil," Maggie said. "But if she does stay, I'm going to Paris for spring break, so you can use my room."

"You're a saint," Wendy grinned.

"Tell me about it," Maggie grinned, stealing Lyla's spot in front of the mirror to check her hair. "You're late Miss Lyla," she added a hint of a southern accent to tease Lyla.

"Shut up Maggie!" Lyla blushed. It just so happened that her Tennessee accent could get rather thick when annoyed.

"The dress, the accent, you're a regular southern belle Lyla Rose," Maggie blew a kiss to her best friend.

"Whatever, lock my door if you leave? I don't need Psychobitch rifling through my things again."

* * *

><p>"Lyla!" Max Fletcher waved at his daughter as she walked through the door to the Academy's main hall. Lyla smiled and hugged her dad. "Hey Daddy," Lyla said.<p>

"Hello dear, come with me," this is why he wanted her to come. Show off the perfect child she supposedly was. It would be another half hour at least of "This is my Lyla, she's a junior at St. Patrick's, on the dean's list, a star athlete, isn't she pretty…" She wondered who he'd showcase her to tonight.

"Lyla Rose, this is John Wright," Lyla was pushed toward a very tall man.

"The US Senator," _oh great, she knew where this was going_. "Nice to meet you sir," Lyla offered a hand and he shook it.

"Your father and I have been talking about getting you in an internship this summer in Washington…" He had a politician's smile, the one that almost said he didn't want to be here as much as she didn't.

"I'd be looking forward to that," Lyla said. It wasn't like she was planning to spend time with her friends this summer or anything… "You know sir, my brother…"

"Lyla, have you seen the Art Hall?" _Translation: let the grown-ups talk now Lyla Rose, you've done your part._

"No I haven't," she turned back to the senator. "Nice to meet you sir." He nodded curtly and Lyla made her way through the people and into the Art Wing. She found a corner where there were considerably less people and leaned against a wall, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She broke an unspoken rule, bringing up Ben. Lyla shook her head.

She wandered through the hall. There were plenty of paintings from the boys at the school. Most of them, she noticed however, were all done by a Reed Van Kamp. In her opinion, they were very magnificent.

Lyla was drinking a soda, standing awkwardly out of the way and still tugging at her dress when it happened. She was walking toward the main hall to find her dad and BAM; soda all over her and she and some boy that ran into her sprawled out on the marble flooring.

"Oh crap!" the boy scrambled up and looked around before helping her up. "I am so sorry!" Lyla was a bit stunned. "AND you're covered in soda, I'm so sorry," he repeated. Lyla looked down and yes, her dress (well, Maggie's dress) was soaked through with Pepsi.

"Um, it's okay…" Lyla said, still feeling rather flustered. She looked at the boy who had knocked her down. He was about the same height as her (and she wasn't exactly tall), Asian defiantly, and his jet black hair was gelled in front. She also noticed that he was wearing the Dalton uniform, so he must go to school here.

"Here," the boy handed her his jacket.

"No, thanks, I'm fine…" Lyla said.

"Please?" the boy offered again. "Really, you can't just walk around this crowd with a big soda stain on your front." He was right, and she sighed and took the blue jacket.

"Thank you," Lyla said honestly.

"No problem," he said. Somewhere in the hall, a clock struck a quarter till. "Oh hell I'm late! Again, I'm so so SO sorry for knocking you down."

"It's fine," Lyla laughed and waved him off. He began to run down the hall and Lyla watched as he swiftly avoided two more collisions before turning out of sight.

Lyla put on the jacket and grinned when it fit her just right. "Lyla Rose!" He father called out, looking over heads. She sighed and pulled the jacket tightly around her. Back to the charade.

* * *

><p>"Wes!" David pulled him along toward the other Warblers. "Where the hell were you man?"<p>

"Sorry," Wes said. "I, uh…there was…"

"Where's your jacket?" Blaine asked. Wes looked down and then back up at the other Warblers, all looking at him and giving him funny looks.

"I…"Wes mentally smacked his forehead. "I gave it to a girl," he said.

"Ohhhh," the boys said in unison.

"A talking flower?" Ethan asked. "Did she have nice stems?"

"Or pretty petals?" Evan added.

"Or both?"

"Uh, I'm not sure, I spilled soda on her…" Wes shook his head. He had given the girl his jacket and he didn't even know her name.

"Can we tell this little story later? We're on in like five minutes and Wes is out of costume!" Kurt pointed out.

"Oh, yeah…" Blaine looked around. "Alright then, jackets off."

"What?"

"You heard me, come on!" There was a rustling between the boys as they quickly removed their jackets. With simply their white shirts and Dalton ties, they stood in formation behind a curtain.

"She better be some girl Wes," David whispered. "Harvey's going to kill us for this."

* * *

><p>Lyla parked her car in the parking lot and walked along the gravel path of St. Patrick's campus and paused at a fork in the road. She wanted a shower, to not be sticky. She wanted to hide Maggie's dress until she could figure out how to clean it. She wanted to curl up in bed and go to sleep and hate her dad for fifteen whole, un-interrupted minutes.<p>

She also wanted to see her brother, so Lyla took a left and headed toward Dublin house.

"Ben," Lyly walked around the front of the building and knocked on the window closest to the front door on the bottom floor. "Ben, it's only 10:30, I know you're up." A hand reached up and unlatched the window and Lyla jumped up and swung her legs into the room…

…and kicked Ben in the head.

"Watch it there Lyles…" Ben said, pushing his desk so his chair rolled back and gave her more room to climb down.

"Sorry," Lyla jumped down from the window smoothly. "Since when is your desk there?" She knew Ben, and she knew better than to move his furniture, even an inch.

"Oh, the guys from Wexford Hall came during classes and gave everyone a little feng shui," Ben shrugged. "I've been working on getting used to it all day."

"Ben, why didn't you tell me! I would have…"

"You would have come over and fixed it for me, I know," Lyla cocked her head, looking at her brother. He seemed more on edge than normal. "I don't need my baby sister beating up the bullies picking on the blind kid Lyla Rose…"

"Benji…"

"I'm fine, Lyla, I am. I'm sorry to snap, I'm just frustrated…" He crossed his arms and looked at his sister. Well, he looked just to the left of her, but Lyla had gotten used to that. "So, how's Dad?"

"Fine," Lyla sighed, she jumped onto his bed and leaned against the wall. "You know, he's trying to get me elected President again."

"Oh, fun!" Ben, who had always had an interest in politics, leaned forward intrigued. "Who'd you meet?"

"Some Senator," Lyla shrugged.

"Well that narrows it down," Ben laughed. "Nelson? Boxer? Toomey?"

"Wright," Lyla said. "John Wright? His son goes to Dalton."

"I'm so jealous," Ben shook his head. "If Dad gets you a job with him, could you slip a copy of my blog into his files or something? I really think that if someone just hears me out about the mountain top removal method of…"

"Ben, Ben…BEN!" Lyla shook her brother. "Can we talk politics and you saving the world another night? I'm exhausted." Ben frowned a little, but then he reached out for Lyla's shoulders and squeezed.

"Sure thing sis," Ben said. "Can I ask you something though?"

"If it's about John Wright…"

"No," Ben chuckled. "No, it's um…well, you smell different…" Ever since Ben went blind, Lyla had only ever used one type of body wash or lotion. It was Bath & Body works, and it smelled like Apricot. Ben had told her it was his favorite, because hardly anyone he knew at the school smelled like it, so he could always associate Apricots with his little sister.

"Oh, Maggie dolled me up, she probably put perfume on me or something…"

"No, I mean, you smell like…cologne? Were you with a guy?" Lyla looked down and blushed red.

She realized she was still wearing the Dalton Boy's jacket.

* * *

><p>So what did you think?<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

_Wearing a Warbler Blazer – a Wes/OC story_

_By: Ashley Lotti_

Chapter Two:

Lyla woke up to the sound of someone pounding on her door, surprisingly at the same rhythm that her alarm clock was beeping. "Lyla! Are you in there?"

"Cynthia?" Lyla rolled out of bed and dragged herself to the door, unlocking it and opening it. A tall red head, with perfectly straight hair and dressed to impress walked in, her heels clicking on the floor. "That's defiantly NOT school uniform," Lyla joked, glancing at her own green plaid skirt, peter-pan blouse, green tie and sweater.

"My parents are coming to get me, we're going on a college tour," Cynthia said."You know, Brown, Yale, Harvard…"

"I know Cyn," Lyla deadpanned. "Why are you telling me?"

"You're going to be the acting Prefect of the house while I'm gone," Cynthia smiled. "I've decided."

"I'm what?" Lyla stood up straighter.

"Acting Prefect," Cynthia smiled she turned to look at Lyla, smiled and patted her cheek. "It'll be a piece of cake girlie, Spring break is in three weeks."

"Three weeks!"

"Well yeah," her phone buzzed in her pocket and Cynthia pulled out a bright pink iPhone. "That's Daddy. Good luck Fletch." And just as she walked in, Cynthia McCoy walked out of her room like she owned the place.

"Acting Prefect," Lyla whistled as she went to her closet. Today was Saturday, she didn't have practice, but the yearbook had a meeting at noon and the paper had theirs at 10:30. Lyla glanced at her watch. 8 am. Plenty of time to roam around the school before breakfast.

"Lyla!" Wendy was knocking on the door. Lyla rolled her eyes as she jumped into a pair of green cargo pants before opening the door.

"Let me take a wild guess," Lyla said. "Tabatha is being a bitch?"

"In the kitchen," Wendy smiled sympathetically. "Cynthia made the announcement that you were acting Prefect – congrats by the way," Wendy said.

"Right, I'm so thrilled." Lyla threw on a white tank top and a black hoodie before she followed Wendy down the stairs to the kitchen, where they found Tabatha yelling at a freshman, waving a pot around. Lyla watched for a second, trying to remember the freshmen's name. She looked like she was about to cry.

"…you seriously think you're going to just burn down the kitchen and get away with it?" Tabatha yelled, swinging the pan again. Lyla stepped in and grabbed the pot as it swung, nearly hitting her and the other girl.

"What are YOU doing here Little Miss Perfect?" Lyla smirked. She was anything but.

"Well, I'm not the one swinging kitchenware at freshmen," Lyla replied.

"She nearly burnt down the whole fucking kitchen!" Tabatha threw a hand in the direction of the stove where a dozen black lumps were scattered.

"It's my…my home ec project," the girl stuttered.

"You should get an F," Tabatha growled.

"Tabatha, chill out will ya," Lyla held up the pot, now in her possession, her accent getting thicker. "You have Banshee practice in an hour, don't you?"

"Yes but…" Lyla held up the pot again, then reached in one of the drawers, pulled out a granola bar and grabbed a banana off the counter.

"Eat, leave." Lyla and Tabatha stared each other down before Tabatha huffed and took the food before storming out. The other girl still looked shell shocked.

"I…I…"

"Breathe, you're alright…" Lyla said. Wendy stepped in and began to clean up the destroyed cookie mess.

"I just don't know why they burnt! I did everything right!" She pouted and leaned against the counter. Lyla noticed that the girl's backpack and folders were on the counter, her name scribbled across the top of a pink binder.

"Esmeralda," Lyla started.

"Ez, please," Ez blushed. "My friends call me Ez."

"Ez, the stove here is whacky, if you set it for 350, it heats to 450," Lyla explained.

"What, that's ridiculous," Ez giggled.

"I know, it's nuts," Lyla laughed. "Wendy here, and our friend Maggie and I really did almost burn down the house, fire engines and all."

"We _did_ fail our Home Ec assignment, now that I think of it…" Wendy spoke up. Ez laughed.

"Thanks for the advice," Ez said. "I'll try again."

"The Banshee won't be back until 3, you have time," Lyla smiled at the freshman. "Good luck."

She left with Wendy, her camera strapped around her like a satchel, and her backpack settled on her back.

"Breakfast?" Lyla asked Wendy.

"No, I'm good," Wendy said with a grin. "Maggie just went down; you might get to catch her."

"Okay…" Lyla raised an eyebrow. "See you later tonight? You still want my help with Stats?"

"Yea, I'll see you later," Wendy waved and turned in the opposite direction away from Bray, their dorm, toward Limerick, the other girl's dorm.

"Note to self, check on Wendy," Lyla said to herself. She wasn't sure if she was going to like this Acting Prefect thing.

* * *

><p>"You don't know her name?" David asked Wes through their bathroom door.<p>

"No, how many times are you going to ask me that!" Wes rolled his eyes and pulled a blue sweater over his head.

"Till I get the truth," David said. "Wesley Hughes would not just give his jacket to a total stranger and get all of his Warblers, his loyal friends, stuck in a 3 hour practice on a beautiful Saturday without a reason."

"I was flustered, I didn't' see her coming!" Wes rolled his eyes. And there also was the fact Wes got even more flustered when he got a decent look at the girl and noticed that she wasn't that bad looking.

Of course, she had the dear in the headlights look on her too so…

"She was hot, wasn't she?"

"If I say yes, will you leave me alone?"

"Maybe," David laughed. "Hey, Katherine and I are getting something to eat after Harvey's Warbler Workout, want to come?" Wes huffed in the mirror. Another chance to be third wheel? Great!

"Sure, why not?" Not like he had anything else to do.

"Cool," David exited the bathroom and both boys looked at each other. Both of them were wearing Khaki slacks, a white shirt, and a blue sweater.

"We need to stop doing that," Wes laughed pointing to his clothes and then back to his own.

"Fine, I'll change!" David went to the closet to find another jacket.

* * *

><p>"Lyla Rose!" Brent Smith, the St. Patrick Harold's newspaper Editor in Chief, hunted her down the second she walked through the door to the newspaper office. "How's my favorite Southern Belle?"<p>

"I'm no southern belle, Brent," Lyla laughed. "What do you need?"

"Maria is doing a piece on music," Brent started.

"As she should, since that's what her column in the paper is supposed to be about," Lyla said. Brent rolled his eyes.

"And she has interviews and pictures from the Dorby Darlings and our own glee club, but she needs both from Dalton's."

"Why?"

"Because they're our brother school and her story just isn't complete without it. I mean, All Girls, co-ed, and…blank," Lyla was glad she had gotten used to how fast the Editor in Chief talked. "Follow me here?"

"So you want me to take pictures of Dalton's glee club?"

"And interview them," Brent smiled.

"Aw Brent!" Lyla stomped her foot down and pouted. "I hate talking to people I don't know… That's why I'm behind the camera lens, remember?"

"Well I'd send Maria with you, but she's in a tutoring session until five or something ridiculous." No she wasn't'. She was probably sleeping with her boyfriend, who happened to be Brent's roommate, and he had been pushed over into getting her out of finishing her assignment yet again.

"Please Lyla," Brent pouted. "Please please please, when do I ever ask you to do anything beside be our amazing photo editor?"

"Every weekend since I joined the paper," Lyla crossed her arms.

"You ARE the best photographer this side of Ohio's ever seen…"

"Now you're just getting pathetic," Lyla shook her head. "I'll do it, I'll do it. If it means you'll go and bug someone else, I'll do it."

"You're amazing, thanks doll," Lyla sighed and sat at one of the desks in the corner that she had rightfully called her own since joining the paper sophomore year. It was the closest to the dark room and she could move in and out (mostly) without people bothering her.

She looked up the phone number for the glee club director, and, taking a deep breath, made the phone call.

"Five minutes," Evan and Ethan whispered at the same time.

"Until what?" Reed asked from his seat behind them.

"Harvey's head explodes," the responded with wide grins. At that moment, Harvey was on a roll on a very long lecture about professionalism and presentation and they were lucky they put on one hell of a show yesterday because if anything had gone wrong they'd all be dead meat.

"Is the whole practice going to be him yelling at us?" Logan asked, looking at his watch. There were so many other things he could be doing with his time right now.

"The last time he was this angry, we had to sing our entire set for sectionals so many times I think Reed passed out," David said, crossing his arms.

"Are you going to see this girl again Wes?" Kurt asked leaning across Blaine to look at him.

"He doesn't even know her name," David murmured. The boys groaned quietly and Blaine flicked Wes in the back of the head.

"None of you are going to let me live this down are you?" Wes sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"Never," the twins smirked.

* * *

><p>Lyla couldn't believe how turned around she had gotten. She didn't normally visit Dalton, except to occasionally find her dad in his classroom, but the rest of the school was simply a maze to her. Somehow she ended up outside again and she huffed, crossing her arms.<p>

Across the courtyard that she was in, there was a boy who was concentrating extremely hard on a book in his hand and a silver container in the other. Lyla walked over to him and noticed that he was lining the edge of the building with white crystals.

"Salt?" she asked, making the boy jump. "Sorry!" She apologized quickly. The boy stepped back and looked at her skeptically. "Look I'm just looking for where the Warblers practice, I didn't mean to interrupt." The boy was still looking at her. He was taller than she was, but his face seemed younger. His lips were red and Lyla wondered if he bit them. He held out a squirt bottle and pointed it to her like a gun at the ready. "If that's holy water, I'm not demonic, I swear," Lyla held up her hands. The boy's eyebrows rose. "I did an article for the school paper about parapsychology." She smiled. "And my brother and I watch Supernatural on occasion." The boy seemed taken aback, but Lyla was still on a mission. "I'm Lyla Rose," she said, introducing herself and offering a hand.

"Dwight," Dwight shook her hand, still a little put off by her sudden presence. "Warbler hall is on the other side of campus."

"Of course it is," Lyla sighed. "You wouldn't be able to show me, would you?" Dwight seemed reserved for a minute before he nodded. "Thank you," Lyla smiled. Dwight headed into the closest hall and Lyla deliberately jumped over the salt line. Finally convinced Lyla wasn't a demon, Dwight seemed a lot more at ease as they crossed the campus.

"Down that way, follow the voices," Dwight pointed. "I have to go re-line the dormitory while it's semi-quiet."

"Thank you Dwight," Lyla smiled. Dwight merely shrugged and turned to walk the other way. His directions were rather clear, follow the voices. But the only voice Lyla could hear was that of a man screaming his head off. Lyla shrugged and, camera in hand, she headed down the corridor.

Boys in blue blazers sat (almost) quietly as their adviser lectured them. Lyla pursed her lips as she saw how red in the face he was getting. Eventually, he'd have to stop for air, and then she'd speak up.

"…and further more!" Harvey went on, pausing for air.

"There's a further more?" Kurt groaned, placing his head on Blaine's shoulder. Harvey took a breath but before he could continue, he focused on the back of the room.

"Can we help you?" the entire group of Warblers spun around to look at the girl in the back of the classroom.

"Mr. Harvey? I called you like an hour and a half ago?" the girl held up her camera, hoping to give him some recognition. "St. Patrick's newspaper is doing a story on vocal clubs in our school district…"

"Oh yes, yes, come in."

"Holy hell…" Wes whispered, grabbing onto David's shirt sleeve.

"What?" David asked his friend as Harvey conversed with the girl from St. Patrick's.

"It's her!" the boys snapped their heads to look at him.

"That's the girl who has your jacket?" Reed asked.

"She does have nice stems," Evan said.

"And petals," Ethan added.

"Don't let her see me…" Wes shrunk down in his chair.

"Boys, sit up!" Harvey announced. "This is Lyla Fletcher; she'll be taking pictures of us for her school's paper." Harvey said.

"Lyla!" Blaine and David both whispered at Wes.

"Are there any particular shots you want to take, Miss Fletcher?" Harvey asked.

"Um," Lyla looked around the hall. "Well, if you guys could perform?"

"Right, of course," Harvey gave them a signal and the boys rose. "Why don't we show her the song from last night, eh boys?"

"Maybe we should do something different," David suggested. "Seems like Miss Fletcher was already at Parent's Night." Lyla looked at the boy confused for a minute before she saw the boy standing behind him.

Their eyes connected and they both turned away quickly.

_Oh my god. _Lyla thought. It was the boy with the jacket.

* * *

><p>Lyla had to admit, the boys were good. She hadn't had the chance to pay a lot of attention to the Warblers last night at parent's night, seeing as her father was talking to her about picking political parties to support and and organizations to get involved with, etcetera etcetera, but watching them do a rendition of "Raise Your Glass" (which was one of Lyla's favorite songs) Lyla could only think that she was very glad St. Patrick's didn't compete with their Glee club, because they would have never beat the Warblers.<p>

"That was honestly amazing," Lyla smiled as she placed the lens cap on her camera and wrapped it around her body again. "Thank you for the show."

"Of course Lyla," Mr. Harvey smiled. "Do you need anything else?"

"I'd like to interview a couple of the members?" Lyla said. "Most likely just the leads will do. I'll need quotes for the photo captions."

"Sure," Mr. Harvey waved and four boys stepped up. "The rest of you, practice is over today; see you bright and early tomorrow." The boys groaned. Apparently, practicing on weekends wasn't normal for the Warblers.

Lyla interviewed Blaine Anderson, the exceptionally good looking and confident lead singer from the song she just watched. She also met Logan Wright (_Oh, the senator's son_) she thought, who seemed a little displaced and clouded; Kurt Hummel, very fashionable and had a lot to say about this's and that's, and finally Reed Van Kamp, who seemed a little shell shocked that Lyla was even interviewing him.

Outside the hall, Ethan and Evan had Wes by each of his arms. "Guys, let me go!"

"No," they said together.

"Where are you going?" David asked.

"Wasn't I going with you and Katherine?" Wes asked, confused.

"That was until Miss Lyla walked in and your IQ dropped impressively," David smirked. "You started singing the wrong song Wes."

"I...I…I…" Wes struggled. Ethan peered into the hall where Lyla had smiled and thanked the leads.

"She's done," Evan said.

"Go on Hare," Ethan said. "Go get your girl."

"Or at least your jacket!" they said together before shoving him into the room. He waved goodbye to Blaine, Kurt, and Reed, who were walking out together. Logan was in the far corner of the room, next to the piano and with Harvey. Lyla was sitting in one of the abandoned chairs, making notes in a notebook. He felt frozen. What should he say?

Lyla looked up, her hazel eyes blinking at him for a moment before she smiled. She closed her notebook and put it in her backpack. "Are you going to spill another soda on me? Because if so, I'm going to have to charge you for laundry." Wes unexpectedly laughed. He held up his hands, showing that he wasn't holding a beverage of any kind, and Lyla smiled again.

Wes really, REALLY, liked her smile.

"I'm Lyla," she extended her hand. Wes took it.

"Wes," he responded. "Nice to meet you."

"You two," Lyla said. "Oh, your jacket!" she had almost forgotten. "I have it, back at my dorm…I can, I can bring it to you tomorrow? Maybe? I don't know." What she did know was that her accent was thickening, a sure sign that she was getting nervous. Lyla didn't get nervous around boys...around anyone! What was up with this Wes guy that had her all twisted in knots that a boy scout would crap his pants over?

"Oh, don't worry about it," Wes said. "I've got a couple to hold me over," he shrugged. Say something IMPRESSIVE Wes. Say something COOL. "You take pictures?" he pointed to the camera hanging by her hip. He mentally smacked himself. Good Caveman Wes, point out the obvious.

"Yeah," Lyla said. "I'm the Photo Editor for the paper and the yearbook at my school," Lyla said with a grin.

"That's pretty impressive," Wes said. "Can I see some of the photos?"

"Sorry," she held up the camera. "Film camera only. I like how they come out in the dark room better than through Photoshop." She shrugged her bag onto her shoulder. "Can I ask you a favor?" Wes nodded. "How do I get to the parking lot from here?" Wes would have just pointed the way had a little voice in his head (that sounded scarily enough like David) spoke up for him.

"I'll take you there," he said. Lyla looked relieved. "Come on, this way." He led her out of Warbler hall and down a corridor.

"So your teacher…" Lyla pointed over her shoulder. "He seemed…"

"Pissed off to the extreme of extremes?" Wes offered.

"To say the least," they both laughed. "What happened?"

"Oh well he…um…" Wes suddenly looked embarrassed. "It was about Parent's night. He's ticked that we weren't all in uniform when we performed." He said quickly.

"I was there; you guys all looked the same. White shirts, Dalton ties…" realization flashed across her face and Lyla stopped and covered her face.

"Lyla?"

"Oh my god! Your jackets! It's my fault you guys are in so much trouble!" She shook her head and Wes saw her blush furiously. "Oh Wes I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault," Wes couldn't help but smirk. "I spilled the soda on you, remember? I ruined your dress."

"Wasn't my dress, so no harm there," Lyla laughed. "But I had…have! I HAVE your jacket and then you weren't in uniform and now you and the rest of the Warblers are in Glee-club-boot-camp!" Lyla shook her head again. "Wes, I'm so sorry. Can I make it up to you?" She asked. Wes looked at the girl in front of him. Her hazel eyes were big and round, looking at him so apologetically. Her hair looked highlighted, but unlike the punk rock blue and purple he normally saw in girls' highlights, Lyla's were natural reds and blondes. It was tied up in a loose ponytail. Her clothes looked comfortable. She wore baggy green cargo pants, but her tank top was tight and fit her nicely. She had one hand on her camera the whole time they had been walking, as if she let go for one second, it would disappear.

And then there was that smile, with the little gap between her front teeth. Not a huge one, but one that was just endearing enough.

Wes really liked this girl.

"Tell you what," Wes's mouth was taking front seat to what his brain was trying to function. "Let me buy you dinner?" Lyla seemed a little taken aback. "Because, whether you think so or not, I feel like none of this would have ever happened if I hadn't basically tackled you in the hallway last night." He laughed.

"Okay," Lyla and Wes both looked at each other a bit confused. Then Lyla smiled again, and Wes let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Great," Wes smiled back to her. He felt like jumping up in the air and shouting, but he restrained himself. "Oh look, parking lot." And we were back to Caveman Wes.

"Thank you so much. I was SO lost earlier." Lyla said.

"So, I'll see you tonight?" Wes asked. "I'll pick you up at seven?" Lyla nodded. "Great." They exchanged numbers and then Wes watched as Lyla climbed into a lime green Ford Fiesta and waved to him as she backed up and drove off. Once the lime green car was out of sight, Wes ran all the way to the other side of campus where Winsor was and burst through the doors, tripping over Charlie who was sweeping salt off the floor. Huffing and puffing, Wes found himself being stared down by a dozen pairs of eyes leering in from the common room.

"I have a date," he grinned, trying to shrug it off and act nonchalant about it all. But the Winsor boys cheered in uproar and dog piled their second-smallest Warbler to the ground.

* * *

><p>Up next, Lyla and Wes's first date. How are y'all likeing the story so far?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

_Wearing a Warbler Blazer – a Wes/OC story_

_By: Ashley Lotti_

Chapter Three:

Wes stared at a wooden sign that was staked in the grass at the end of the St. Patrick's visitor's parking lot pointing the way to the different parts of the school. Wes looked around and saw five or six buildings that made up the school's campus. Unlike Dalton, which looked like an old manor, St. Patrick's actually resembled a school and had a more modern taste to it.

Wes had no idea where to begin. _And she thought Dalton was confusing…_ Wes thought as he pulled out his phone to text Lyla.

_Where's ur dorm? _Wes texted her. He stood there awkwardly for a minute or two, looking around campus with his hands shoved into his pockets. He was wearing a white long sleeve shirt under a brown tee, jeans and sneakers. David had shaken his head, saying that Wes should have dressed a little more classy. But Wes was thinking that just dressing sharp wasn't going to impress Lyla. With that in mind, Wes wasn't actually sure what would impress Lyla at all.

His phone buzzed again. _Bray._ Wes looked at the sign. **Bray Dormitory (Girls) - **Wes began to follow the pathway that the sign directed to when he got another text. _I'm not there though. _Wes sighed and turned around, heading back to the sign, shooting a reply back to her.

_Okay…WHERE are you?_ Wes laughed as he replied.

_Dublin. _Wes checked the sign. **Dublin Dormitory (Boys) - **Wes followed a different path that led to a three story high brown building with white trimming and a wide front porch. There was a guy with dirty blonde hair sitting upside down on one of the patio chairs, reading a book, his glasses dangling on the edge of his nose.

He saw Wes approaching and lowered (or rose in his case) his book. "Are you from Wexford?" he asked. Wes looked around to check that it was in fact he who the boy was addressing, and then shook his head.

"No, I'm looking for a girl named Lyla, but I think I'm at the wrong dorm…" This was a boys' dorm after all. But the blonde boy smiled and pointed to his left.

"Go to the side of the building, first window, knock thrice," he said. "She's in Ben's dorm." Wes shrugged, being that he had followed odder instructions back at Winsor, and did as he was told. But he didn't need to knock on Ben's (whoever he was) dorm window, because as Wes rounded the corner of the building, he saw a curly haired brunette crawl out of the window he was sent to, land clumsily on the floor, scramble to her feet and grab her bag and camera from the window. She laughed at something the person said from inside the window and then spotted Wes and waved at the window before approaching him.

"Hey," Lyla said. She looked back at the window as it slammed shut and shook her head.

"Graceful exit," Wes teased and a blush rose from behind Lyla's freckles. "You don't believe in doors?"

"The Dublin guys pick on me," Lyla shook her head. "Because I'm usually the only girl who comes by their dorm, and they always ask me questions about girl troubles and…ugh, I don't want to deal with them, so the window is the best option when I want to visit my brother." They walked back around to the front of the building and Lyla waved to the boy who was still upside-down. "Bye Otto."

"Bye Miss Lyla Rose," Otto called. "Y'all have a good time now, ya hear?" Otto teased with a light-hearted smile. Lyla shook her head and they continued to walk with Wes to the parking lot.

"Is that really your name?" Wes asked. Lyla nodded. "It's pretty." They reached his car and Wes held open the passenger door for her.

"Thanks," Lyla said. "Yeah, I like it, but hardly anyone calls me that unless they're imitating my accent," Lyla said with a shrug.

"Yeah, no one really calls me Wesley except my mother," Wes agreed. "And that's only if I'm in trouble." Lyla smiled at him and put on her seatbelt.

"So where to Wesley?" Lyla asked. She was wearing her favorite jeans, a blue t-shirt, and a brown jacket that was actually Maggie's. Hopefully, she didn't spill anything on this.

"How do you feel about pizza, Lyla Rose?" Lyla laughed.

"I love pizza."

* * *

><p>"Why model planes?" Lyla asked over a slice of pizza in between bites and laughs. Wes was finishing telling about the time the Tweedles filled his room with model airplanes when he first moved in.<p>

"Not a clue, they won't tell me, even to this day!" Wes laughed as well. Two slices of pizza sat on the table in front of them, but both of them were full. Wes had brought Lyla to a little hole in the wall pizza place a couple miles north of her school. There was a kid's party in the back of the restaurant, currently screaming loudly as they beat up a piñata with a plastic bat. The workers behind the counter, who were experiencing a slow night, huddled around a small TV over the stove and were booing at some sort of sporting event. Wes and Lyla sat in their own little corner, laughing and talking without a single dull moment.

Lyla was just thinking how great of a date this actually was turning out to be.

"So what do your parents do?" Wes asked. It was an inevitable question. When you went to a school such as Dorby, Dalton, or St. Patrick's, money was usually inevitable and parents' professions came up like asking people their first name.

"My dad's a teacher at Dalton," she replied. "He teaches Political science and gov and classes like that."

"You're dad is Mr. Fletcher?" Wes asked. Lyla nodded. "The Fletch?"

"You guys call him that?" Lyla smirked into her soda.

"Well, not to his face, he's kinda terrifying in person to be honest," Wes admitted. Lyla smiled and Wes did too. "Want to go outside? It's still a little light, we can walk a little." Lyla nodded and Wes stood up, handing Lyla her jacket when she stood too. Wes paid the guys at the counter and they walked outside into the dusk lighting.

"This is my favorite time of day," Lyla admitted absent-mindedly as she walked next to Wes on the sidewalk. Lyla seemed to know the area better than he did, she had taken a few choice lefts and rights and they found themselves in a park on the east side of town. Lyla's fingers twitched over her camera, which hung at her side as her mostly companion, and Wes saw a light in her eyes right before she swung it around and clicked a shot up toward a lamp where two blue jays were resting.

"So what do you do for fun Wes?" Lyla asked as he watched her snap another picture. As he could see, her photography was her passion.

"For fun?" Wes asked shrugging. "I don't know. I sing with the Warblers. I hang out with my friends. I ride motocross."

"Motocross, like, dirt bikes?" Lyla asked, dropping her hands to her side and looking at him curiously.

"Really fast ones," Wes said. "I have a bike back at Dalton, but it's too loud, so I don't ride it here very often."

"I think that's really cool," Lyla admitted. "It's different, you know? Like, it's not something everyone says they can do."

"It's the same thing with you and your camera then?" Wes pointed. "Not everyone can take a decent picture."

"That's very true," Lyla grinned a little cockily. "But I don't like photography because I'm good at it. I'd probably do it if all my pictures had parts of my thumb in them."

"Why?" Wes asked as he sat on a nearby bench and looked up at her.

"I'm not too sure," Lyla admitted. "I mean, I get to see anything I want through my camera," she looked at said camera in her hand and then began to feel very self conscious. She didn't talk about herself normally. "It's like, getting a whole new perspective and having my own exclusive view of everything." The sun was setting a little, the light was changing. The Blue Jays chirped and flew off and Wes looked up. The light flashed in Lyla's eyes again and she aimed her camera and pointed it at Wes.

Click. "Did you just take a picture of me?" Lyla only responded with a smile. "Sorry for the waste of film, I'm not very photogenic." Lyla rolled her eyes and sat next to Wes on the bench.

"Being photogenic doesn't mean you look amazing in every single picture of yourself, Wes," Lyla said. "It means that you have enough self confidence that it radiates through the picture and people looking can see just how amazing you truly are," Wes grinned at this and Lyla snapped another picture, this time he was looking right at her, and it made her blush.

"My mom told me that," she added, putting the camera down in her lap and adding the lens cap. Lyla fiddled with the lens cap a little before Wes took his fingers and laced them with hers. She looked up at him and smiled.

* * *

><p>Wes parked again at St. Patrick's and opened the door for Lyla, insisting that he walk her to her building. Lyla had started to say no, she was a big girl, she didn't need a guy to protect her between the parking lot and Bray, not anymore anyway. But Wes wouldn't take no for an answer, and underneath it all, Lyla though that his chivalry was very sweet, so she took his offered hand and let him walk her up the west path to Bray Dormitory.<p>

"I had a great time Wes," Lyla said, feeling clichéd as it left her lips. They stood in front of her doorway for a while.

"I want to see you again," Wes blurted out. Lyla smiled at him, bit her lip. "I mean…if you want to, we could hang out again, maybe?" Wes fumbled over his words and it made Lyla giggle.

"That would be a lot of fun," Lyla helped him out. Wes grinned at her with a wide smile. Lyla looked down at their hands and then back to Wes, catching his eye. She leaned toward him just a little when the lights on the deck lit up, startling them both.

"Lyla! Oh my god thank goodness you're home!" Maggie burst through the front door, grabbing Lyla's sleeve.

"Maggie!" Lyla jumped again, pulling her arm away from her friend quickly.

"I'm sorry girlie, but we are in hell over here and in desperate need of our Prefect…" Maggie said with wide eyes. She looked panicked.

"Then go wake up Cyn…" Lyla paused and slouched a little. "Oh wait, that's me, isn't it?"

"You're the prefect?" Wes asked.

"As of this morning," Lyla shrugged. Maggie looked over to Wes and then back to Lyla.

"Miss Lyla Rose, are you telling me you weren't here because you were on a _date_?" Maggie's eyebrows were dangerously close to blending in with her hairline. "Well it's about…" Lyla shoved Maggie back inside. "Nice to meet you cutie, but I must cut your date short. You have her number?" Wes nodded. "Great, bye!" and Maggie went back inside.

"I'm so sorry!" Lyla laughed, squeezing Wes's hand.

"No problem," Wes said. "I'll call you."

"You better," Lyla said.

"LYLA!"

"Oh my god I'm going to kill her!" Lyla groaned and then ran inside the house. "Goodnight Wesley!" and the door closed behind her.

"Goodnight Lyla Rose," Wes smiled before turning on his heels and heading to the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Wes was walking up the stairs to his dorm when a hand grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him back. With a loud yelp, Wes rolled backwards into Blaine's room and the door shut.<p>

"Hello there Hare," the Tweedles said together. Wes looked up at them, glaring.

"How'd it go?" Reed asked from the couch.

"How'd what…"

"Your Date!" the room yelled at him. Wes groaned and took David's offered hand to help him up.

"I liked it better when we were meddling in Blaine and Kurt's love life," Wes said. Blaine and Kurt frowned and looked at each other with a shrug.

"Where'd you go?" David asked.

"What did you do?" Blaine followed, not giving Wes a chance to answer David.

"_Did you kiss her_?" Han's voice echoed over the speakers. All eyes were on him and Wes wanted to shrink into the door. But the twins were behind him, poking and prodding him to answer.

"Well?" Kurt said. With a big sigh, Wes reluctantly answered.

"No," he said. "No, I didn't kiss her."

"WHY?"

"I uh…we got interrupted!" Wes said, flinging his hands in the air. "I was all for it, and I think she was too, and then BAM! The door swung open and here's this blonde chick that was all 'call her later, the house is on fire!' and dragged her away."

"You'd think she lived in Winsor," Reed whispered to Dwight, who smirked.

"She said we could hang out again," Wes said with a hopeful smile.

"You should bring her HERE!" Ethan said enthusiastically.

"What?" Wes asked.

"Oh yeah, for the three day weekend!" David agreed. "It's like, Dalton's founder's day or something lame like that."

"We're going to have a party," Evan said. Blaine shot him a look.

"The school, the SCHOOL is going to have a party," Ethan said.

"We're still in trouble about New Years, mind you," Evan pointed out.

"No matter how 'worth it' it actually was," Ethan finished.

"You should ask her," Reed agreed. "Then we can meet her!"

"That would probably just scare her off, Reed," Kurt smirked.

"Guys…guys…GUYS!" Wes spoke up and the boys all looked at him. "Look, I will THINK about inviting Lyla to the three day weekend thing. But please, I've dated girls before, I know what I'm doing."

"Tabatha is not a girl," Dwight pointed out. "She's a demonic spirit possessed by the unholiest of the unholy."

"Yeah," David nodded. "What Dwight said."

"She's the Jabberwocky," Ethan and Evan said together.

"A horrid Banshee…" Kurt added his two cents.

"Thank you," Wes rolled his eyes. He got it, he got it. "I'm going to bed now," And he left Blaine's room, a chorus of goodnight's echoing behind him.

Wes entered his and David's room and he threw himself on his bed with an exasperated sigh.

"So how did it really go?" David asked from the doorway as he entered and then closed and locked the door.

"She's amazing David," Wes said, half of his face muffled by his over-sized pillow.

"You like her then?" David asked the obvious. Wes nodded and David pat the top of his friend's head.

"Good. You know, me and the guys, we just want you to be happy Wes," David sat on the side of his bed.

"I know, I know," Wes sat up a little. "I'm just starting to feel bad for Kurt and Blaine if we dealt with them the way they're all following me around now."David smirked and lied back in his bed.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, what's the crisis?" Lyla asked as she was pulled into the hallway.<p>

"Bad to good or good to bad?" Maggie bit her lip.

"Good to bad," Lyla said. She'd start small and work out from there.

"One, Rachel Merriman spilt hair-dye all over the sofa." Maggie pointed into the common room where a girl with her hair wrapped up in a plastic bag was scrubbing at a rather large black spot in the sofa cushion.

"Hey Rach," Lyla called. The girl looked up. "How long is your hair supposed to be in that wrap?"

"Half an hour," she said.

"and how long have you been scrubbing?"

"Closing in on two hours…" realization hit Rachel. "Oh my god!" and she ran upstairs, skipping steps along the way.

"That poor girl, I wonder what her natural hair color is," Maggie wondered. "Okay, two, Esmeralda? She's your new buddy apparently?"

"Ez? What about her?" Lyla asked with concern.

"Small stove fire…" Maggie said as she followed Lyla who rushed to the kitchen. There was scoring on the ceiling from it being burnt.

"Oh my god!" Lyla yelped.

"It's not that bad…"

"It's a black burn on our ceiling!" Lyla put her palm against her forehead before turning back to Maggie. "Continue before I scream."

"Three, Tabatha had another bitch-fit," Lyla was lead upstairs. "She slammed her door so hard it cracked in the middle and she is demanding it be fixed by tomorrow afternoon."

"Sure let me pull a freeking door out of my ass…" Lyla was getting a migraine. "Anything else?"

"Four, Wendy passed out."

"What? You should have started with that Maggie! Where is she?"

"It was only for a second, she's in my room now, she was getting tutored in English with Ben, so he's here, he brought her over." They went to Maggie's room and opened the door to find Wendy sitting on Maggie's bed.

"Mag, I told you I'm fine, you didn't need to tell her…" Wendy rolled her eyes. "I just got over-tired, you would too if you slept in the same room as a banshee."

"Are you sure?" Lyla asked, rushing over to her friend and putting a hand to her forehead. Wendy was a year younger that Lyla and Maggie, and the girls thought of her as their little sister.

"Yes Lyla Rose, calm down," she said with a sigh. Lyla stepped back and put a hand on her brother's shoulder as he stood up.

"Well you're in good hands. Don't scare me like that again Gwendolyn, okay?" Ben pointed a finger. It was at Maggie, but the girls got the point.

"Alright Benny," Wendy said. "Really, I'm okay. I just need more sleep."

"You can sleep here honey…" Maggie rubbed Wendy's back.

"Lyla, walk me to the front door?" Ben asked as he unfolded his cane. Lyla tilted her head. Ben knew his way through the house, he didn't need her help. But without saying anything, Lyla looped her arm through his free one and led him down the hall.

"This has happened before," He pointed a thumb over his shoulder once they were out of earshot. "Wendy getting woozy."

"What? Why didn't you say anything," Lyla smacked his arm.

"Because I didn't put the pieces together until now, I'm sorry," Ben apologized. "It's just…I've been tutoring her since November…sometimes she'll get really quiet in the middle of her sentences and she'll weave around when we're walking."

"Should I bring her to the nurse?" Lyla asked her brother.

"I don't know Lyles, but I'd at least worry about her," Ben frowned.

"I will. I do," they reached the door and Lyla kissed Ben on the cheek. "Can you make it from here bro?"

"I can try," Ben smirked. Lyla squeezed his hand and watched Ben make his way down the path, cane in hand. Lyla closed the door and then ran upstairs t check in on Wendy. Maggie insisted that everything was better now and that Wendy could sleep in her pull out couch until Tabatha cooled off, and sent Lyla to bed with the promise that she would poke and prod all the juicy gossip about her date out of her in the morning.

Lyla went into her room and locked the door behind her. On the white board posted on the back of her door, Lyla made a list.

_-bleach couch cushions_

_-fix burn in ceiling_

_-fix Psycho's door_

_-kill Cynthia McCoy_

Lyla then hit play on her stereo, turned the volume down to 5, just loud enough for her to hear, and listened to Fall Out Boy as she changed and got ready for bed. As she threw on a pair of Spiderman boxers and a Club Volleyball sweatshirt, she noticed something that made her sigh, add a note to her To-Do list and jump into bed with her cell phone.

_Hey Wesley, guess who still has your Blazer?_

* * *

><p>So here's chapter three =) I miss the Warblers... Dalton updated yesterday and I swear I haven't slept in two days. My Roomie has been playing the Glee: Warblers CD for three days, I don't mind, it's good to listen to while writing =)<p>

Alright, I'm going to write a health essay now, why don't you review?_  
><em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Wearing a Warbler Blazer – a Wes/OC story_

_By: Ashley Lotti_

Chapter Four:

Tuesday came around and Lyla was awake at the crack of dawn. She put on her school uniform and tennis shoes, put her books in her bag, along with her camera, and then as quietly as she could, Lyla sneaked out of her dorm and clicked her door close. She had spent three days – THREE DAYS – as acting Prefect at Bray, and already, she was going to go insane. She passed the newly polished wooden door that belonged to Tabatha and Wendy, and tip-toed down the stairs, over the broken stair, and right to the front door.

She opened the door to find Maggie looking for her key. "Busted," Lyla crossed her arms and smirked at her friend. Maggie's usually perfect blonde hair was in a bun on top of her hair, her make-up was smudged, her clothes the same as yesterday. "You're so lucky I don't want to wake the house up. I am SO ready to start the walk of shame chant." Maggie rolled her eyes.

"Shut up Lyla, I left there at three AM!" Maggie was not a morning person what-so-ever. "His apartment is SO FAR!"

"You should have just slept over," Lyla shrugged, but she knew better. Maggie had a strict 'no sleeping over' rule with the guys she dates. She thinks that if she spends the night at a guy's place (this guys is currently Daniel Oliver, who was a day student and had been crushing on Maggie since junior high) he'll get too attached, and Maggie was not one to hang around with a clingy boyfriend.

"Lyla, I couldn't do that," Maggie shook her head. Geez, you would think Lyla had asked Maggie to bring her the moon. "He needed his sleep. Big Calc. exam today and all."

"Uh huh, sure." Lyla stepped aside and let Maggie pass her. Over exhausted from lack of sleep, Maggie trudged up the stairs. "So you're NOT going to first period?" Maggie just waved her off and Lyla laughed before retreating in the opposite direction into the breezy Ohio air.

Ben was waiting outside the dining hall, his cane folded up in his lap, and seemingly interested in something his friend Jordan, who had walked to breakfast with him, had said. He laughed, throwing back his head, and Lyla reached for her camera, letting off only one click before she lowered it slowly and frowned. Why bother taking pictures of someone who would never be able to appreciate them?

She didn't dwell on the thought for long since Ben heard the click of her camera and looked up, smiling and knowing that his sister was near.

"Lyles," Ben called out. "Put that thing down and let's get going, I'm starved!" Lyla rolled her eyes at her brother and dropped her camera to her side. She walked over and put her hand on Ben's shoulder.

"Hey Jordan," Lyla smiled. Jordan waved shyly but didn't say a word. He only spoke to Ben. "Food," Lyla pulled at her brother and Ben stood up as she dragged him inside toward the smell of breakfast and coffee.

Ben and Jordan grabbed food and Lyla sat at the table, her phone in her hand. No, she was not going to text Wes; it was seven in the morning. He was probably asleep. Of course, she hadn't even talked to him since Sunday, and that was just texting back and forth about how she had kidnapped his blazer and he was never getting it back. Yesterday, Lyla had practice and her phone was dead, and she was disappointed to see that he hadn't even texted her the whole day. She was still frowning when the boys came back to the table.

"Here Lyla, eat up," Ben handed her a plate and Lyla took it wordlessly. "What's up with you, you're quiet."

"Am not!" Lyla jumped. "Jordan's quiet."

"That's because girls make him nervous. Now unless _Jordan_ suddenly makes you nervous, speak up."

"Not a morning person, need coffee," Lyla reached for his cup.

"Bull," Ben pulled his mug away from her. Lyla sighed and drank from her own orange juice. "If it's about that Dalton guy, there was some sort of explosion at Winsor and Charlie confiscated all electronic devices until it was cleaned up." Lyla nearly choked on her food, and she began to cough and sputter eggs everywhere.

"How did you…"

"Never keep secrets from your older brother," Ben chided as Jordan patted Lyla's back sympathetically. "Charlie's a buddy of mine; we went to camp together for years. When one of the juniors in his dorm mentioned his _date_ with a _Lyla Fletcher_, phone calls were made."

"I swear, between you and dad, I'd have more privacy as the President of the United States." Lyla huffed.

"And when dad get's you there, make sure you remember this conversation," strictly for her own benefit, Lyla stuck her tongue out at her brother. Without even seeing that she had done so, Ben did the same. Jordan smirked into his coffee.

"Mind if I sit here?" Wendy had appeared from nowhere and Jordan jumped nearly out of his seat.

"Hey Wendy," Lyla smiled scooting over her chair so Wendy could sit with them. "Did you get breakfast?"

"Yeah, back at Bray, I just thought I'd run into you all here. Hey Ben, hey Jordan." The boys waved, both of their mouths filled with food. "I saw Maggie." Wendy whispered, and Lyla laughed.

"What happened to Maggie?" Ben asked.

"Nothing nosey," Lyla swallowed the last of her breakfast and grabbed Wendy. "Come on, let's go." They stood up and Ben reached out to grab Lyla's wrist. The abruptness and accuracy that Ben had a catching her made her jump and Ben immediately pulled away his hand.

"I have to talk to you Lyla," Ben said in his big brother voice.

"Later, okay?" Lyla kissed the top of Ben's head and squeezed his shoulder. "Lates Jordan," they waved to the boys and walked out of the dining hall and down the hall to the botany garden behind the building where their first period class was held. There was a half hour until classes started.

"I talked to Professor Carroll yesterday," Wendy said, crossing her legs as she sat on one of the stone benches. "About moving dorms."

"Please tell me you're moving OUT of Psychobitch's room." Lyla pleaded.

"Yes and no…" Lyla's shoulders slumped. "At the end of the year, we'll discuss it, and I'll get to put in a request for my own room."

"You have to wait for 3 more months?" Lyla groaned. "Did you tell her how horrible Tabatha is? Do you need references?"

"You know none of the teachers really listen to what I have to say to go here," Wendy sighed. Lyla reached out and ran her fingers through Wendy's curly brown hair and smiled sadly at her friend. "I don't pay to go here; my parents aren't rich like everyone else at these private schools."

"You're here on scholarship because you're BRILLIANT!" Lyla pointed out. "They should listen to you. You just need to be more assertive, you know?" Wendy shrugged and looked out toward the rose bushes. "Make them listen to you." Wendy nodded, but Lyla could tell that she didn't really believe her. The screeches of buses out front of the school signaled that it was nearly time for school to start.

"Come on Lyla, better get to Chemistry," Wendy stood up, but Lyla didn't budge.

"Everything else is okay, right Wendy?" Lyla asked. "Like, beside the psycho being your roommate, you're okay?"

"Is this still about Saturday?" Wendy rolled her eyes. "Lyla Rose, I promise you, I am perfectly fine."

"Okay okay," Lyla held up her hands in defense. "Alright, consider this dropped."

"Good," Lyla stood up and they walked out of the garden and back into the hallways that were now filling up with students in hunter green sweaters. "Did Wes ever text you back."

"No…" Lyla bit her lip.

"Text him," Wendy offered.

"Maggie won't let me," Lyla laughed. "Apparently that breaks a rule."

"Is Maggie here?" Lyla shrugged. "Then text him!"

* * *

><p>"Chaz, David and I put the ENTIRE chandelier back together piece by piece," Wes groaned early Wednesday morning. "Can I please get my iPhone back?"<p>

"Repeat after me," Chaz held Wes's phone out of reach. "I will not…"

"I will not…"

"EVER…"

"Ever…"

"Attack Drew and Satoru with nerf guns while they are working with questionable materials, nor will I put them in the crossfire of said nerf attacks."

"Seriously Chaz, how were we supposed to know that stuff was highly flammable?"

"Wes, gasoline is highly flammable, paper is highly flammable, whatever _those two_ were working on nearly **took the roof off of Winsor**."

"I promise not to nearly kill people who live here, please give me my phone," Wes sighed and Charlie shook his head before tossing the iPhone4 to Wes, who caught it in mid air. "Thanks Chaz!"

"It just beeped like, 10 minutes ago," Charlie said. Wes swiped the screen and saw a message from Lyla.

_LF: So I hear you blew up your school?_

Wes laughed and looked back at the dorm as he ran toward the main building for class.

_WH: Just Winsor, but we were due for a new roof anyway. LOL_

He slid into his desk behind David five minutes before class started. David looked over his shoulder and Wes swatted him. "Tell her I say hi!"

"She doesn't know you," Wes rolled his eyes.

"Face time her!"

"We're in class!"

"Five minutes till…"

"Shut up dude!" Wes rolled his eyes. "Wait a minute..."

_WH: How did you know about the explosion?_

Wes hid his phone under his desk as the teacher came in and wrote the assignment on the board.

_LF: Ben knows everyone._

_WH: I think I'd like to meet this Ben guy._

_LF: I won't put you through that yet, you don't deserve the agony. _

_WH: Can we hang out again?_

_LF: Didn't we already have this discussion?_

_WH: Tonight?_

"Class, today we'll be talking about the chapters you were supposed to have read in "The Scarlet Letter." Write down the topic questions I put on the board; turn in the answers by the end of class…"

_LF: Newspaper, working through dinner. Rain check?_

Wes groaned quietly. He missed seeing Lyla. Was that nuts that he had only ever seen her twice?

_WH: No problem._

* * *

><p>Wes wondered if he was stepping over a line, coming to St. Patrick's so late, but Lyla had said she was working through dinner…<p>

A visitor pass and some kind directions from the main office, and Wes found himself outside a glass door with "The Harold" etched in and painted black. Wes knocked before entering, but all he saw was a couple of kids asleep at their computers and paper, lots of paper, everywhere.

"Lyla?" Wes called out. There was a door in the back of the room with a large red light over head. _"Film camera only. I like how they come out in the dark room better than through Photoshop."_

"Lyla?" Wes knocked on the wooden door. The light overhead flashed a couple times, but there was no other movement.

"Interrupt her and perish," a sleepy voice said from behind. "She'll come out when she's good and ready." Wes thanked the voice and stepped away from the door, nearly tripping over a wooden desk, complete with desktop, printer and scanner, and a name plate:

Lyla Rose Fletcher

Photo Editor

Wes leaned against the desk and was admiring a picture of her and – supposedly – her brother, when the red light switched off and the door opened.

"Wes!" Lyla seemed genuinely surprised to see the Dalton boy leaning against her desk. He held up a brown paper bag with grease stains at the bottom, and in the other hand a drink tray. "Oh my god you're a superhero." Lyla grinned. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Burger, fries, shake, no big deal," Wes shrugged.

"Hold on for one sec, okay?" Wes nodded and Lyla walked over to the sleeping students. "Ross, Bianca, go home," she shook them awake. "We'll finish the Layout in the morning, okay? Go on…" Ross and Bianca didn't seem to argue much, they simply grabbed their bags and Lyla leaned them against each other as they sleepily walked out the door.

"When's the deadline?" Wes asked as he handed Lyla the brown bag.

"Mine is tomorrow, the whole paper is due Sunday," Lyla pulled up a chair for Wes and then sat at her desk. "So, with Brent in charge, it'll be done Friday, and it'll be prefect." Lyla grinned and took a bite of her burger. "Mmmm, again, superhero."

"Everyone's gotta eat," Wes shrugged. He wasn't about to go all loco on her and tell her how crazy he went not talking to her yesterday while on cleaning duty. Lyla simply nodded and took another bite of the burger. "So your brother knows everyone?" Wes asked, swiping some of Lyla's fries.

"Well, yes and no. He's friends with Charlie, they went to camp together for some time," Lyla said. "And someone else from your dorm…Sam? Jan?"

"Han?" Wes offered. Lyla snapped and pointed at him.

"That's him; he plays roleplay something or other video games with him." Wes nodded, that sounded like Han enough. He watched Lyla take a sip of her drink and check her watch.

"You late for something?" Wes asked. Lyla blushed in embarrassment.

"No, no, it's just; the photos need to stay in the developing liquid for a certain amount of time before…" Lyla sighed. "Here, I'll show you. They're Warbler photos anyway, you'd probably like them." Wes nodded and they left the food on the desk before entering the dark room.

There was a red glow throughout the room, thick solid black curtains draped over the door so as to not let the light in when people came and went. Lyla stepped in first and closed the door quickly after Wes. She handed him a pair of plastic lab glasses and donned her own before walking over to a tray on the far side of the room.

"I can't even see my own hands," Wes laughed.

"It _is_ a dark room Wesley," Lyla laughed back. "Watch out though, some of this stuff will burn you."

"When you meet my friend Reed, do NOT bring him in here," Wes said. "Ever."

"Accident prone?" Lyla asked. She had enough of them on the staff here.

"Danger prone, I swear it. The kid has got more bumps and bruises than anyone…" Lyla laughed again. Wes was waving his hand in front of his face, trying to make out an outline or something. The red lighting wasn't enough for him to see, so he stood awkwardly in the corner, trying to stay out of the way of Lyla's fluent movements around the little room. The dark room was clearly her element. Lyla probably could do everything she was doing right now blind folded; not like she needed it, it was pitch black in here.

"Here, come here," Lyla said.

"Where?" Wes said. He felt like he'd probably see more if his eyes were closed. Lyla shook her head and reached out to him.

"Come on Wes," she teased, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward. "I'm going to turn the light on, okay?" Wes nodded and Lyla flipped the switch. Wes hisses and shut his eyes tight. "Oh yeah, close your eyes."

"Thanks Lyla," Wes groaned, rubbing his eyes. Once the brightness didn't hurt and Wes didn't have to squint, he opened his eyes to Lyla shaking her head at him, crossing her arms.

"Boys," she smirked. She waved him over to the table where a couple of photos were sitting in water. The rest were hanging on a line above them, drying, Wes assumed.

"Hey that's us!" Wes pointed to a hanging photo. They were in their starting formation, a standing pyramid of sorts with Blaine in the front. Behind him were Kurt and Logan, Reed and the Tweedles. Wes and David were on the ends the next row back.

"You looked confused," Lyla pointed.

"Bailey just hit me, I started singing the wrong song," Lyla laughed. "Apparently, there's no smooth transition between "Hey Soul Sister" and "Raise Your Glass" that no one will notice." Lyla laughed again. She wasn't aware that it was her fault he had sung the wrong song.

"I think I'll give this one to Brent and Maria for the glee story," Lyla held out a picture and handed it to Wes. "What do you think?"

"I like it," Wes said honestly. The boys (once all singing the same song) had all jumped at the same time, and Lyla caught them all at different heights, some of them had their hands raised, some their arms crossed in front of them; it was one of those rare times Harvey allowed a little freedom in their performance. The Warblers were smiling widely. Ethan and Evan's hands were on Reed's back, a habit they had picked up since he'd lose his balance during any given number. "I really do Lyla; the guys would love it too."

"I'll make y'all a copy," Lyla said. She took the picture back and hung it on the line again. While doing so, another photo caught Wes's attention.

"That's me!" Wes pointed.

"Don't touch, it's still wet," Lyla swatted at his hand. "And yes, Mr. I'm-not-very-photogenic, that is you."

"Is this from Saturday?" Lyla nodded. It really wasn't that bad of a picture, to be honest, and Lyla Rose was her very own worst critic. Wes was looking at his own face, the one in the picture grinning at something Lyla had said.

"Yeah," Lyla said. "It came out really great. You look really happy."

"I was on an awesome date," Wes admitted, "with this really remarkable girl." Lyla blushed and looked the other direction. Wes swallowed hard and reached for Lyla's hand, gently pulling her toward him. Lyla suddenly felt very self-conscious, a feeling she'd never had in her dark room before, as Wes looked into her eyes. She had the sudden urge to look down.

Wes took initiative and leaned forward, Lyla closed her eyes.

A cell phone rang loudly. Both of them jumped apart and Lyla quickly answered her phone.

"Benjamin Arthur Fletcher I hate you so much right now," Lyla whispered into the phone. Wes couldn't help but laugh quietly from behind her.

"_Remember I told you we needed to talk?"_

"It's eleven o'clock, can it wait?" Lyla rolled her eyes.

"_It couldn't wait this morning when I tried to talk to you. Where are you?"_

"Dark room," Lyla looked at Wes apologetically and he shrugged.

"Should I go?" Wes whispered, but Lyla held a finger over his lips and shook his head.

"_Who are you with? Is it that Dalton guy?"_ Lyla deflated a little and rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you in ten minutes Big Brother," Lyla said quickly and she hung up the phone. Lyla looked at Wes and they both broke out laughing.

"Busted," Lyla shook her head.

"He could hear me?" Wes asked as he followed Lyla out of the Dark Room.

"Ben has really, REALLY good hearing," Lyla said. She took the garbage from Wes's delivery and threw it away. She slung her camera over her shoulder and locked the newspaper door behind them as they walked out of the main building, both of their minds thinking about that "almost-moment" in the Dark Room.

* * *

><p>"Maybe he's psychic," David joked as he threw a ball against the far wall of their room and it bounced back at him. He caught it mindlessly and threw it again.<p>

"Seriously dude?" Wes looked at him skeptically. "That's your final assumption as to why we've been interrupted TWICE now?"

"Third time's the charm," David said. Wes groaned and fell back on his bed. David smirked. "Did you ask her if she wanted to come to the founder's day party this weekend?" Another groan was all David needed to know that his best friend had forgotten the main reason he had gone over to St. Patrick's. "Smooth move Wes."

"_Hare…"_ Han's voice crackled in on the speakers in their room. "_Why is Ben Fletcher playing 20 questions with me about you and what you were doing at St. Patrick's in the late hours of the night? Were you visiting you're dear Lyla?"_

"Han, I will come up there and pour water on your hard drive, I swear it." Wes yelled into the empty space of the dorm.

"_Touchy. I guess that would mean you _didn't_ get a goodnight kiss from the southern belle?"_

"Maybe he'll be in a better mood in the morning Han?" David asked. David himself, in his opinion, was allowed to be a little pushy with Wes; he was just making sure his best friend was happy. The others could tend to get a little nosey though, and their Caterpillar was the king of nosey.

"_You two are no fun. Fine, I'll tell Ben that you're not a serial killer, maybe that'll keep him at bay for the night." _There was a small click that showed that Han had stopped listening in their room and had gone back to better things.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" David threw the ball at Wes, hitting him in the side.

* * *

><p>Lyla walked to Ben's window. Normally, she would have gone through the front door since it was late, but it was locked. She was frustrated with her brother; he couldn't wait one more minute? Really?<p>

"Cool your jets Lyles," Ben said as he sat at his bed and Lyla stumbled through the window. "You're usually a bit more graceful than that."

"Sorry I'm just…" Lyla huffed and crossed her arms. "Are you psychic or something?"

"Aw, did I interrupt your make-out session with your boyfriend?" Ben didn't seem like he cared all too much.

"He's not my boyfriend," Lyla rolled her eyes. "Why are you being so big brother-y all of the sudden. This over-protective thing is getting a little annoying."

"I apparently have pushed a button, I'm backing off. I wanted to talk to you about…"

"If it's about Wes, I've only seen him three times…minus the soda incident, so twice…" Lyla said, pacing the room.

"It's about," Ben started, but the pause in his voice and the nervousness in his face said it all. Lyla froze in her steps and turned toward her brother. She was silent though and she took a seat next to Ben on his bed.

"Oh," she said quietly. Her camera rested in her lap and she fiddled with the lens cap. Ben wrapped her arm around Lyla's shoulders and hugged her close. "Is he…"

"He's not coming back to St. Patrick's, not yet anyway." Ben felt awkward and a little sad. "I just heard that he was moving back to Ohio with his family."

"Okay," Lyla stood up quickly and Ben fell onto his bed, having been using Lyla as support. "Okay, cool. Thanks for telling me."

"Um…" not the response he had been anticipating. "Okay."

"I have to go…go to bed, Lyla said. "I have practice tomorrow and a Latin test and…"

"Lyla Rose…" Ben stood up and reached for her. Lyla stepped toward him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for telling me," she said and she was already halfway out the window.

"I thought maybe we could talk about this a little?" Ben said, his face frowning with a concerned crease in his brow.

"No need, it's fine, I'm over it," Lyla waved. She climbed out the window and grabbed her camera around, pulling it to her chest. "Love you Benji."

Ben sighed and shook his head. His little sister was more stubborn than anything. "Goodnight Lyla, talk to you tomorrow." Lyla closed over the window and ran all the way back to Bray. She got inside, locked the front door, ran up the stairs and closed the door behind her, sliding to the floor and closing her eyes.

"Boogieman almost catch you?" Lyla jumped and looked up to see Wendy and Maggie on her bed, soft curlers in Maggie's hair and avocado mask on Wendy's face.

"Don't want to talk about it," Lyla said. "Why are you in here?"

"Maggie saw Ross Davies stumbling back home half asleep and he mentioned ever so cleverly…"

"…that a Miss Lyla Rose kicked him and Bianca out of the Newspaper room…"

"I didn't kick them out, they were asleep…"

"…in favor of having a late dinner with a BOY!" Both girls had yelled the last word together and giggled afterward. Lyla shook her head and crawled onto the bed between them.

"We want details Lyla," Wendy said. "Wes the Warbler came to visit you?" Lyla sighed and rested against her wall. She wasn't a gossip like her two best friends, but then again, she never had anything to gossip about; usually that was left up to Maggie. Lyla blushed and Maggie and Wendy giggled again.

"We haven't even SEEN him!" Wendy complained. "Is he cute?"

"I've seen him," Maggie said. "He's cute, a little on the short side…"

"Lyla's short," Wendy pointed out. Lyla snorted.

"Do I need to be here for this conversation?" Lyla raised her hand.

"So he came by?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah, he brought me food," Lyla said.

"Did you guys shack it up in the dark room?" Maggie asked.

"MAGGIE!"

"What? It's not like I was there to interrupt your kissing him again…"

"You interrupted them!" Wendy was shocked.

"It was an accident! I didn't even know she was on a date until I saw him outside!"

"Margret Otis I swear…"

"Again, do I need to be here?"

"Well you at least kissed right?" Maggie said. She stretched her legs out across the bed and looked at Lyla expectantly. Lyla blushed and looked down. "You did!" Lyla shook her head. "You didn't!"

"We were…" Lyla insisted. She was sure her face resembled the reddest of tomatoes at the moment. "But then my phone rung and we freaked out and jumped and yeah…that's that."

"Who called you? I'm kicking their ass," Maggie insisted, miming to the other two her rolling up sleeves.

"Ben," Lyla said. The realization as to why he had called curled in the pit of her stomach again and she leaned against the wall, willing herself not to pale.

"I bet he's psychic," Wendy laughed. "You know, lose your eyesight, but be able to see into the future, something cool like that."

"I'm sure Ben would appreciate being called the first blind super hero ever."

"It'd all go to his head…" Wendy and Maggie laughed on about Ben the superhero and Lyla smiled along, but the pit in her stomach was growing.

By one AM, both Maggie and Wendy had fallen asleep in Lyla's room. Maggie was curled up on Lyla's sofa chair and Wendy was pressed against the wall. Lyla couldn't sleep. The thought that He was back in Ohio kept stirring in her head. _It was a year ago Lyla Rose, chill out._ But she couldn't. He wasn't coming back to St. Patrick's, he couldn't…could he? Her phone buzzed on her night table and the glow of the light made Lyla squint. She picked up her cell and looked at the message:

_Movies tomorrow? After Warbler practice? – W_

Lyla grinned and felt the pit in her stomach go away. Who needed to worry about Him anyway? Who was she freaking out about?

_Sounds like fun – LR _


	5. Chapter 5

_Wearing a Warbler Blazer – a Wes/OC story_

_By: Ashley Lotti_

Chapter Five:

Wes sent her a text around lunch time that he and his best friend would be picking her up around 7, after Warbler practice. Lyla agreed, since her own practice let out at 5, she'd have time to shower and get ready.

"I don't know about this," Maggie said, sitting on the sofa in Lyla's room and tossing a brown leather jacket at Lyla. "I mean, you two haven't even KISSED. Why should you meet his best friend?"

"And whose fault is that?" Lyla pointed at Maggie. "And I don't know…I mean, I want to see Wes again."

"It's going to be so third-wheely…" Maggie complained. "Maybe I can come along…"

"No," Lyla said sharply. "You're trying the monogamous relationship with Daniel, remember? We like Daniel…"

"You ruin all my fun," Maggie crossed her arms, but there was a smile on her face. "Can you PLEASE where the dark jeans with the white stitching?"

"Why?"

"I'm not telling you, you'll freak out and then you won't wear them!" Maggie said.

"I didn't invite you in here to dress me Mags," Lyla said. "I'm a big girl, I can do it all by myself." Lyla held the jeans in question looking at them curiously. "Come to think of it, I didn't even invite you inside…"

"You can't dress like a boy going on a date with a boy…" Maggie insisted.

"Not a date, and I don't dress like a boy," Lyla said.

"Lyla Rose, do not argue with me," Maggie sat up.

"Fine, you either pick out the top or the bottom, I get the other choice, and I'm wearing Converse whether you like it or not." Maggie stared Lyla down, but Lyla fought right back. Finally, Maggie caved.

"Fine, wear the jeans!" Maggie sat back. "You're such a pain in the ass."

"Ah, but you love me," Lyla laughed.

"That I do girlfriend," Maggie grinned. "That I do."

* * *

><p>"This is weird."<p>

"No it's not," David and Wes said to Katherine who sat herself in the back seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Is too," Katherine said. "It's like, tricking the poor girl into a double date."

"It's not a date," Wes pointed out. "Because we're not dating, we're just…hanging out."

"You're hanging out with your best friend and his girlfriend," Katherine pointed out. "It's a double date."

"Whatever Kath," David shook his head. "We're just going to see a movie. It's nothing life changing."

"That's the other thing!" Katherine said as they pulled into the parking lot at St. Patrick's. "Scary movie is a date movie. Wes, why don't you just tell her it's a date, this will be SO MUCH LESS AWKWARD…"

"KATHERINE!"

"BOYS!"

"I'm going to get her," Wes said, throwing the car in park and getting out. Once Wes was on the path toward Lyla's dorm, David turned to Katheine and smiled.

"Too pushy?" Katherine asked with a smirk. David shook his head.

"Nope, it'll be on his mind all night," David laughed and kissed his girlfriend.

* * *

><p>"Lyla will be with you in a minute, but it's not safe in there just yet," a girl with mousy brown hair said to Wes as he knocked on the door. "I'm Wendy," she offered her hand. Wes shook it. "I'm the less extreme best friend, I think you may have met Maggie for all of two seconds…"<p>

"Oh right," Wes nodded. Yes, Wendy did seem less frantic than Maggie had. "What do you mean by not safe?"

"Oh um…" Wendy looked back at the dormitory front door. "There was this incident…I think…hmm, maybe Lyla will explain," Wendy smiled apologetically. Just then Lyla stepped out of the dorm and pressed her back against the solid oak door. Wes had to laugh, she looked like she just got out of battle. She was wearing dark jeans and a grey and green ¾ sleeved baseball shirt that said "St. Patrick's Volleyball" around the school logo. Her hair was braided down her back, out of her face that was slightly pale from whatever was happening inside.

"What did you decide?" Wendy asked Lyla.

"I took all sharp objects out of their room, and cell phones," Lyla handed a bag to Wendy. "They can have everything back once they sort it out, I don't care how. They're locked in their room, Maggie has the key, but she's going on a date with Daniel, so make sure to get it before she goes, will you?" Wendy saluted Lyla.

"Aye Aye Captain," Wendy smiled. "Nice to meet you Wes." And she went inside. With the door clicked with Wes and Lyla safely on the outside, Lyla breathed in relief.

"Remind me to buy Charlie flowers or something," Wes shook his head and put his hand on Lyla's shoulder. "You survived?"

"By the scrape of my teeth," Lyla smiled. "Girl fights, cheating boyfriends…" Lyla faked a shiver. "It's terrifying." Wes laughed sympathetically and then led her in the direction of the car. They walked a while and Wes looked down at their hands, taking a momentary leap of faith and lacing his fingers with hers. Lyla smiled and blushed, but she didn't pull away. "So who are we going with again? David?"

"David's my roommate and best friend," Wes said. "And then his girlfriend Katherine is coming too."

They were going with another couple? Well, not ANOTHER, it wasn't like she and Wes were a couple, really. They were just hanging out, weren't they?

"So like, this is a double date or something?" Lyla asked, trying to sound as casual as possible, her voice sounding a little bit higher than it should. She was willing herself not to blush furiously.

"Um…" Keep it cool Wesley. "Yeah, I guess it is," he looked over to Lyla. "That's okay, right?" he grinned when Lyla did, taking that as a yes, this was good.

"Oh my god David, look, they're holding hands!" Katherine said excitedly. David climbed into the front seat of Wes's car and waved on for Katherine to do the same. He rolled down the window and the two waved at Wes and Lyla.

"Wes, I'm driving, lets go!" David grinned. He leaned out the window and offered a hand to Lyla. "Hi Lyla, I'm David, this is my girlfriend Katherine," Katherine waved from behind David and said hello.

"I remember you," Lyla said. "You're a Warbler, right?" David nodded proudly.

"Indeed I am, I hope you got my good side on Saturday," David smiled and made Lyla laugh. "Come on in, we're getting food first."

"Dude, David, it's my car," Wes smirked at his best friend. Lyla got into the back seat of the car and Wes gave David a 'I-see-what-you-did-there' look before climbing in next to Lyla.

* * *

><p>David always picked the worst movies. This sci-fi action thriller wasn't even action-y…or thrilling…or good, for that matter. Wes looked to his right to inform David of his wrongs when he realized that he and Katherine had already figured this out and had moved to a more personal way to spend the movie. Wes looked the other direction at Lyla and caught her eye.<p>

"Do you think they'd notice if we left?" Wes whispered. Lyla looked over to the other two, smirked, and leaned back in her seat.

"I don't know, I really like this movie…" Lyla hid her smile and settled in her chair. Wes raised an eyebrow and shrugged, turning back and facing the screen. Lyla rolled her eyes and grabbed Wes's hand, tugging his arm so he would follow her out of the theatre.

"I'm never letting David pick movies again, this always happens, he has bad taste…" Wes said as they exited the quiet area of the theatre. Lyla really felt like she should tell him what David's true motives probably were, but she held back. Wes would figure out soon enough that David had done that on purpose so that they could find something more interesting to do than watch the movie.

"It's okay Wes," Lyla smiled. Wes shrugged. What would they do now?

They both looked up as a child was screaming and being led out of the Arcade by his mother. As the chorus of "I don't want to go!" Died down, Wes and Lyla shared a sideways glance before heading to the other side of the hall.

It was empty, not unusual for a Wednesday night really. Flashing lights and poor quality sound effects brought the dark closet of a room to life. Some games had missing controllers or laser guns, most had stickers or something posted on the side. Wes walked over to other side of the room and put two quarters in one of the racing games where the player would sit on the motorcycle. "Want to play?" Lyla nodded and walked over, and Wes added fifty more cents.

Lyla immediately learned that Wes was very good at this game. He knew which petals to hit, which buttons were worth pressing…Lyla was simply trying her best not to fall off the bike. When they finished their race, Lyla got 14th place; Wes got first.

"That's so not fair," Lyla crossed her arms. "You've had way more practice than me."

"Well if you didn't confuse the clutch and the brake, you would have AT LEAST gotten tenth place," Lyla tried to glare at him, but he stuck his tongue out playfully and she shook her head and laughed.

"Wait, there's a break?" Lyla asked, looking down at the controller in front of her. "Why do you need a break, it's a racing video game!" Wes laughed and slid off of his "bike," Lyla was going to do the same, but Wes stopped her and grabbed the handle bars.

"Here I'll show you," Wes said. He put two more quarters in the machine and put his arms through Lyla's. "Okay, THIS is the clutch, this is the brake," Wes pointed out. "This button, the "turbo" don't press it until this little image shows up on your screen." Lyla nodded. "Ready?" Another nod. Wes clicked the button to make the race start and he pushed the necessary buttons and levers while Lyla steered. He hadn't even noticed, really, that his arms were wrapped around Lyla and his hands were over hers. A bus crossed in front of Lyla's character's path and Wes smiled. "Okay, THIS is why we have a brake." He said, and then he hit the brake, let go of the clutch, and leaned the bike sharply to the left. The character on the screen slid under the bus and the minute it cleared, Wes right sided the bike and grabbed the clutch again and they kept going without incident.

"Alright hot shot, let me try," Lyla said as they reached a checkpoint in the game. She did as Wes showed her, clutch not brake, don't hit the random flashy button, and then another bus showed up on screen. Lyla did what Wes had done, but when she turned sharply to the left, she basically threw herself off of the "bike" and fell into Wes, knocking them both to the ground.

"Ow!" Wes and Lyla said together. They were sitting on the floor between the two motorbike consoles, Lyla's legs over Wes's lap. Wes leaned against the motorbike and closed his eyes. Lyla blushed furiously. She wanted to apologize, profusely, but she couldn't find the words. She just started laughing, hysterically, and Wes was right behind her. Lyla laughed so hard she couldn't even sit up right anymore and she leaned against Wes's chest, clutching her stomach. It was more than five minutes until their laughing subsided and Lyla had tears in her eyes. She looked up at Wes who still had a big smile on his face. He wiped a tear off her cheek.

Lyla knew they'd probably get interrupted again. A custodian will come in and clean up the stray popcorn on the ground. David would call and be looking for them. Her now supposedly psychic big brother would call for no apparent reason. A Zombie apocalypse could begin that very moment. But Damnit to hell, Lyla was going to kiss Wes whether the universe liked it or not.

Wes beat her to it. The hand that wiped away her laughing tears slid to her neck and he brought their faces together, lips touching in the middle.

It was a good kiss, in Lyla's opinion. It wasn't possessive or slobbery, it was tentative and sweet and totally worth the wait. When they pulled back, both still had smiles on their faces. Lyla looked at Wes, hazel eyes searching his dark ones. "Good?" she asked quietly.

"Very good," Wes smiled at her as he leaned forward again, covering her lips again. That time however, Wes's phone vibrated in his pocket and Lyla nearly fell back on the floor laughing. "David, what do you want?" Wes answered his phone.

"_You guys have been in the arcade for a half hour, you know that right?"_ Wes looked at his watch and made a surprised face.

"So we have, where are you two?"

"_Outside, but we can make another couple of strolls around the block if you're busy…"_

"We'll meet you at the car," Wes said, hanging up.

"Movie over?" Lyla asked. Wes nodded and they helped each other up off of the floor. "Next time we go on a date Wesley, we're leaving our phones in the car, I swear…" Wes doubled over laughing and he wrapped his arm around Lyla's shoulders as they walked to the parking lot where David and Katherine waited expectantly.

* * *

><p>They dropped Katherine off at Dobry first before pulling into the St. Patrick's Parking lot. "I'm taking these with me," Wes said, dangling the keys in front of David.<p>

"Nice to meet you David," Lyla waved.

"Back at you Lyla," David waved. "See you soon!" Wes held Lyla's hand as they walked toward Bray. She let out a little sigh of relief when she saw that the dorm wasn't on fire or completely shambled to the ground. No broken windows, or screaming banshees, just for that moment, Bray was at peace.

"So this Saturday, Dalton is having this founder's day kind of party," Wes said as they reached the dorm. "Would you be interested in coming?" Lyla thought about it for a minute.

"If the paper gets in on time, I can make it," Lyla said. "And if the paper isn't in on time, well, then I'm a dead girl so…" She shrugged and Wes laughed. They stood on the Bray porch and Lyla stood up a step from him. "Goodnight Wes."

"Goodnight Lyla," Wes was still holding Lyla's hand and he gave her a pull, bringing her close to him and kissing her soundly. Lyla smiled into the kiss and pressed her hand to his cheek. "I'll see you this weekend." Wes said. Lyla nodded and turned to go inside.

Wes practically floated back to the car and hardly heard David beg to drive. He just threw the keys at his best friend and rode home to Dalton with a stupid grin plastered on his face the whole time.

* * *

><p>Lyla went up to her room and closed the door behind her. There was no Maggie or Wendy primping on her bed, waiting for her to get home and gossip. There was no list piled up under her door of things that had gone wrong in the evening. The house hadn't burned to the ground and it sounded like Tabatha might actually be asleep, and not screaming at some guy or her parents on the phone about how she wasn't getting her way.<p>

To top it off, she finally got to kiss Wes, thrice! Lyla jumped onto her bed and took a deep breath before excitedly squealing and kicking the air.

Best. Day. Ever.

* * *

><p>"Is he broken?" Evan whispered to his twin as they sat on stools in the kitchen and watched Wes wander through the room in a silent and smiling daze. Ethan shrugged and watched Wes open the refrigerator and pull out a Tupperware with a biohazard sticker on it and began to open it.<p>

"You can't eat that Wes," Ethan said, pulling the Tupperware away and replacing it with one of Kurt's cookies. Wes hardly seemed to notice and wandered out of the kitchen.

"Warning! Warning! March Hare on Cloud Nine!" the Tweedles called out.

"Keep him away from high places," yelled Evan.

"And sharp objects," Ethan followed.

"What's wrong with him?" Charlie asked.

"Has he been possessed by something?" Dwight followed behind the twins. "I told him to leave the salt line under his window, it probably has David too…"

"It's not demons," Ethan laughed.

"He's HAPPY!" Evan followed.

"With his talking flower!"

"David says they _kissed_," Ethan said.

"As long as he isn't dating Tabatha again…" Charlie pointed out. "Then good for him."

* * *

><p>"Well look who's bright and chipper this morning," Maggie said as she sat next to Lyla at breakfast with a cup of coffee and a bagel.<p>

"Well look who's up before noon," Lyla shot back. "You didn't come trudging in at the crack of dawn I see."

"Nope, decided my bed was lonely without me and needed some me time." Maggie shrugged and spread cream cheese on her bagel. "I was startled awake though."

"By what?" Lyla asked.

"By my neighbor's squeals of joy in the middle of the night. You're prefect, you should do something about this."

"Sorry," Lyla blushed and apologized.

"I'll forgive you in exchange for gossip," Maggie said. "Apparently you had a good time, is Wes's friend cute."

"He and his GIRLFRIEND OF FIVE YEARS are very cute," Lyla smirked as Maggie sighed. "Stop chasing guys if you have Daniel, the boy is crazy about you." Maggie rolled her eyes.

"What did you see?" Maggie asked. Lyla knew Maggie was restraining from asking about what she really wanted to know. Lyla had a knowing smile on her face and she dragged it out as long as possible.

"Some boring sci-fi thing…" Lyla said. "I didn't get it…"

"He took you to see 'Revenge of the Squids'?" Maggie crossed her arms.

"You know it?"

"Yeah, well, Daniel and I went and "saw" it," she air quoted. Lyla smirked. "OMG YOU MADE OUT DURING THE MOVIE!" a couple of students passing by them with lunch trays glanced over at Maggie strangely.

"God no Mags," Lyla blushed and ducked her head, embarrassed. "Where's Wendy, she's subtler than you."

"Please, a busload of screaming Beiber fans is subtler than Maggie," Wendy laughed as she appeared and joined them at the table. "What are we talking about?"

"Lyla's date," Maggie said.

"Oh, yeah, nice squeal in the middle of the night by the way…" Wendy laughed. Lyla banged her head on the table and groaned.

"Did all of Bray hear me?" Both girls nodded. Lyla sat up and sighed. Oh well, what did she care, she was happy.

"Come on Lyla Rose," Wendy said. "Tell us what happened." Lyla smiled and told her best friends about the video arcade and his invitation to Dalton outside the dorm.

"O.M.G that's the cutest thing I ever heard." Maggie grinned and clapped her hands before taking a sip of her juice. Wendy seemed happy, but guarded.

"What is it Wendy?" Lyla asked. Was she dizzy again? Feeling sick?

"That Founder's Day party, it's this Saturday?" Wendy asked. Lyla nodded. "At Dalton?" another nod from Lyla.

"Why?" Lyla asked.

"Well, um, Tabatha's current boy…thing… is a Dalton boy," Wendy said. "I only know because she talks on the phone SO LOUDLY…"

"Like everything else that Banshee does," Maggie added as a side note.

"What are you getting at Wendy?"

"Well, I just heard her on the phone last night, before you got in, telling her Dalton boy that she's see him on Saturday."

"Oh my god!" Maggie dropped her fork. "What if…"

"Tabatha is so going to the same party…" Lyla hit her head on the desk and groaned. She was so screwed.


	6. Chapter 6

_Wearing a Warbler Blazer – a Wes/OC story_

_By: Ashley Lotti_

Chapter Six:

Wes and David flipped burgers on the grill, watching as Reed ran from the twins, who recently acquired marshmallow shooters. "Does Charlie know about the fireworks?" David asked.

"Nope," Charlie said, sneaking up on them. "And neither do the other prefects, we're playing clueless/ But if the house burns down..."

"We'll perish, we know," Wes laughed.

"Is your girlfriend coming Wes? I know Katherine's here..."

"She's talking to Blaine," David said. "And are we calling her your girlfriend?" He smiled, amused at Wes as he blushed.

"No...Yes, I mean...I dont know?" he answered. Charlie and David looked at him confused. "Yes, Lyla is coming," he shook his head.

"Hey guys," Danny came up to them with a grin. Next to him was a tall red-haired boy with pale skin and freckles that no one recognized. "This is our new resident Hanover, Anthony," he introduced the pale boy.

"Transfer?" David asked, shaking his hand. Anthony nodded.

"Yeah, just moved back to Ohio," Anthony said. He had a crooked smile that curved around his long nose.

"Well welcome," Charlie said. "Lets hope you last longer than our last Hanover transfer..." The boys made a face and David turned back to the grill.

"Wes and David are warblers too." Danny continued. "Anthony wants to audition."

"You sing?" Wes asked. The red-head nodded. "Well good luck on the audition man, hope you get in."

"Thanks!" The Hanovers walked away just as Wes's phone buzzed.

_I'm here - LR_

Wes smiled and sent back a text. Charlie took the spatula and shoo'd the boys away so they could spend time with their girlfriends. Well, David's girlfriend and whatever Wes decided Lyla Rose was.

"Hello Talking Flower!" a blonde boy jumped out of the bushes, startling Lyla Rose as she headed toward Windsor. Another boy, identical to the first, followed him.

"Remember us?" They asked. Lyla, still slightly shocked from surprise, nodded.

"Are you here to see our March Hare?" Lyla looked confused.

"Um...Wes invited me..." she said with a smile.

"That's him!" they said excitedly. "Come with us, we'll show you the way," they each hooked an arm through hers and led her toward their dorm. The Founders day party looked slightly like a classic Fourth of July barbecue. Students were spread around the grounds in lawn chairs and on blankets. A group of boys were playing soccer, shirts and skins, off to the side.

"Can we get you anything Talking Flower?" The twins asked in unison.

"No thanks," she said with a sweet smile. She felt the drawl on her tongue as she started to feel nervous again.

"Ethan, Evan, leave the poor girl alone!" Another boy came up that Lyla recognized. She had interviewed him for the newspaper.

"Hey Blaine," she smiled at him. "They weren't bothering me, they're alright," she smiled in thanks to Ethan and Evan.

"Either way, Wes is over there with David and Katherine and Reed," he pointed to a circle of lawn chairs, sofa cushions, bean bags, and other random sitting furniture. Lyla thanked all three boys and made her way over to the small group talking.

"Hey there," she waved. David and Katherine waved back. Reed smiled at her as he sat Indian-style on one of the cushions. Wes grinned as she stood next to him, taking her hand and kissing her cheek.

"So you survived the deadline?" Wes asked. Lyla nodded.

"By the skin of my teeth but yeah," She smiled. "How's things going here?"

"No fire or explosions yet, clearly the party's just beginning," Reed said with a laugh.

"I brought these for you guys," Lyla reached into her bag and pulled out an envelop handing it to Wes. "Its all the pictures from the day I took pictures of the Warblers..."

"I wanna see!" David said, reaching out to take them from Wes. Reed stood up behind David and called over other Warblers. As the boys hoovered around the pictures, sharing and laughing, Wes led Lyla to the food table.

"I'm glad you made it," Wes said with a grin.

"Me too," she grinned. "I brought my camera..."

"I think I'd be worried if you didn't," Wes said. "Can't have a Lyla Rose without a camera can we?" She laughed at this and pulled the camera to her face, looking through the viewfinder. She saw the boys playing soccer and then changed direction and saw the Warblers looking at her photos. And then she saw...

"Oh no! Hide!" Lyla grabbed Wes' arm and pulled them both under the table. Tabatha was walking around with her boy-toy, Derek Seigerson.

"What are we hiding from?" Wes asked with an amused smile.

"Psychobitch," she said. Wes peeked up over the table.

"Tabatha?"

"You know her?"

"Uh..." Wes bit his lip.

"Fletchy?" Lyla winced and stood up to face Tabatha.

"Hey Tabs, cute dress," she said coldly, gesturing to the inappropriate piece of fabric Tabatha was wearing.

"What are YOU doing here," Wes and Derek shared a look and both took a step back from each of the girls.

"I was invited," Lyla said.

"By..." she began to question, but she turned to look at Wes and she smirked. "Well I guess after me you could only go lower on the food chain, right Wesley?" Wes's eyes narrowed.

"Ouch," Lyla frowned.

"Not cool Tabatha," Wes said sharply. Lyla blushed and tried to not look at her feet. "Just because you're jealous doesn't give you the right to talk to or about my girlfriend like that." _Girlfriend? Is that me? Oh..._she couldn't help but smile. _This is good, I don't mind that one bit._

Tabatha looked back and forth between Lyla and Wes for a moment, before rolling her eyes and tossing her hair over her shoulder, turning on her heals and dragging Derek behind her. Wes and Lyla looked at each other.

"Sorry about her..." they said simultaneously. Lyla laughed.

"I can't believe you dated Psychobitch."

"We tend to call her the Jabberwocky around here," Lyla laughed again. "And I mark it as a momentary laps in judgement, I swear it." Lyla shook her head and took his hand.

"I guess it could be worse," she smiled.

"Really?"

"No! Your ex is Tabatha, what is wrong with you," she laughed however and shoved him. Wes chuckled and bumped her back with his hip. They walked over to the rest of the group.

"Well, anyway, you're my girlfriend now, not her," he looked over at her and she smiled. "...right?" Lyla smiled wider and leaned over, kissing his cheek.

"Right," she agreed. Wes grinned and kissed her quickly before taking her hand and joining the rest of the Windsor boys.

Over cheering on the soccer game, Danny and Anthony sat with some of the other Hanover boys. Danny had been talking, something about joining the Warblers, Anthony was pretty sure that's what he was talking about. He was more focused on the girl on the other side of the party with the naturally colorful hair and the baggy jeans and the camera.

"Lyla..." he said under his breath, a smooth grin forming on his face. Well, he hadn't expected to find her so quickly. He watched as that Asian kid - what was his name? Wes? - kissed her on the cheek and said something to make her laugh. It made Anthony see green.

"Danny, is that Wes guy a Warbler too?" Danny nodded.

"Yeah, you should really try out, I think you'll like it. And it'll help you meet the other guys..."

"Yeah, I think I will," Anthony said with another wicked grin, his eyes never leaving Lyla. This was going to be easier than he thought.


End file.
